Melting glass.



No. 675,016. Patented may 2a, |901.V c. z. F. BUTT & J. H. cnosKEY.

MELTING GLASS.

[Application filed Jn. 23, 1896.)

- (No Model.\

z'flzasses:

@wat C Mw TINTTE STATES PATENT OEEICE.

CHRISTIAN Z. F. ROTT AND JOHN H. OROSKEY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYL- VANIA, ASSIGNORS TO SAID CHRISTIAN Z. F. ROTT.

lVlELTlNG GLASS.

SPECIFICATION forming` part Of Letters Patent N O. 675,016, dated May 28, 1901.

Application filed January 23, 1896. Serial No. 576,513. (No specimens.)

To (IJ/Z roh/0711, it Htc/ y concern:

Be it known that we, CHRISTIAN Z. F. RoTT and JOHN H. CRosKEY, residents of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement. in Melting Glass; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Our invention relates to a method of preio venting the cords in glass during the working of the pot.

In glass-furnaces as ordinarily constructed the melting-pots are arranged around within the furnace at suitable intervals and are heated solely by the surrounding heat of the furnace, said pots being entirely closed, with the exception of the opening through which the glass is gathered. As these pots are con structed of refractory material with walls 2o three, four, and five inches thick, any slight reduction of the temperature of the furnace will cause theglass in the pots to become stiif and difficult to gather. must be skimmed to remove the cords from the surface thereof, thereby removing a considerable quantity of glass, which must be remelted or else it is wasted, or the gathering from the pot must cease, and the mouth of the pot is closed and remains so until the 3o heat of the furnace has brought the glass back to the proper consistency.- This often takes several hours. The cause of the existence of cordy glass in the melting-pots has been a matter of much dispute among 3 5 glass-manufacturers, and many theories have been advanced and remedies suggested; but the evil has not heretofore been abolished. The cords in the glass, however, we believe to be caused in the following manner: Each 4o time a gatherer inserts his punty into the furnace-opening which coincides with the opening in the pot to gather the glass as he withdraws said punty there is always a long cord or string of glass hanging from the body of molten glass on the punty, which drops back into the pot. The time expended by the gatherer in turning and twisting the punty at the opening of the furnace to permit any excess of the molten glass to drop back into the pot 5o permits these cords to chill and harden. They thus drop back into the pot in this chilled In such cases the potstate, and oftentimes the heat of the pot and the molten glass is not sufficient to reduce them to fluid form or the consistency of the molten glass within the pot. These cords congregate in the pot and are gathered up by the puuties with the molten glass, and when pressed or drawn these cords cause lines or streaks in the finished article of glassware.

If the glass in a pot once becomes still or 6o cordy, practically all of the ware made therefrom has to be rejected or sold at a reduced price as seconds. Gathering from that particular pot may have to cease and the glass be removed therefrom, so that it involves a great loss in time, labor, and damaged goods. We propose by our invention to prevent this stiff and cordy glass; and our invention consists,generally stated,in projecting heat down at an angle upon the glass in the pot at a 7o point adjacent to the place of gathering.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l illustrates a common form of glassfurnacein section, showing the arrangement of the pots therein and a suitable apparatus for introducing the heat. Fig. 2is a front view of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is an cnlai'gedl detail view.

The furnace a is a common form of potfurnace, circular in form, with the pots Z2 arranged aroundin a circle therein. Adetailed 8o description of the furnace is unnecessary fur ther than it has the openings c arranged at intervals in its walls, said openings coinciding with the openings d in the pots when said pots are arranged in order. The gathering is done through the coincident openings c and d. The pots b are closed, with the exception of the openings CZ.

As hereinbefore stated, our invention consists, essentially, in projecting heat down at 9o an angle upon the glass in the pot from time to time during the gathering process to prevent cordy orstiff glass. Now this heat may be that generated by the combustion of gases, oils, or pulverulent carbon.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated our invention where gas is employed to create the heat. In the form of apparatus illustrated frepresents the air-pipe, and g the gas-pipe, which encircle the furnace above roo the openings. Encircling the furnace is the track 7L, on which the wheels 7:; of the trolley yond the point Where the pipe q enters the Acoupling-sleeve r, and an annular space t is formed around said nipple. The pipe q is provided with the valve q. A nozzle or injector uis connected to the coupling s, by which the intermingled gas and air are introduced into the pot. Flexible tubing or hose i; connects the pipes m and q with thev pipesfand g, respectively. The gas-pipe g is controlled by au ordinary automatic coupling-valve g. The air-pipefis closed by the automatic coupling-valve f. By the above construction the device may be shifted from one potto another all around the furnace and connected up in a very short time.

If the glass in any one of the pots has become cordy or too stiff to gather properly, the device hereinbefore described, suspended from the trolley t', is moved around to the pot to be operated on, when the nozzle u is inserted into an opening in the pot, said nozzle being inclined to throw the heat down upon the surface of the glass at a proper angle. The nozzle may be inserted at one side of the opening of the pot, so as not to interfere With the gathering of the glass; but the inner end of the nozzle is so directed that it will throw the-heat down upon the glass at a point which is adjacent to the place from which the glass is gathered by the gatherer. The hose is then connected to the various pipes in the manner shown and the valves opened. The combined air and gas is thus projected onto the glass, creating an intense heat and acting to melt any cords inthe glass. has demonstrated that a pot containing glass too stiff to gather properly or so cordy as to render the Ware made therefrom unfit for use can in a very short time be converted into a mass of the proper consistency and free from cords. The Ware, Which before Was streaked with lines, is now free from imperfections.

The apparatus is one which can be readily adjusted into position, and it is only necessary to use it when the glass becomes cordy. By directing the heat down upon the glass so that it strikes the glass close to the point from which it is being gathered the result is that the glass is kept at the proper consistency and that the Whole pot can be Worked out. As hereinbefore stated, We do not mean to limit ourselves in any manner to the form of furnace or the heating device illustrated or Practical experience to the employment of gas as the heating.

agency. l

Vhat We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The method of preventing cords in glass, consisting in heating the body of the glass to a substantially even temperature throughout, and superheating a portion of the surface of the melted glass at the dippingpoint thereof, for the purpose of eliminating cords and strize at such (.lipping-point.

2. The method of preventing cords in glass, consisting in heating the body of the molten glass to a substantially even temperature throughout, and projecting a tlame down upon the exposed surface of the molten glass in the pot (at a point adjacent to the point from whence the glass is being gathered.)

In testimony whereof We, the said CHRIS- TIAN Z. F. Ro'rT and JOHN H. CRosKEY, have hereunto set our hands.

CHRISTIAN Z. F. ROTT. JOI-IN II. CROSKEY.

Witnesses:

ROBT. D. ToT'rEN, ROBERT O TOTTEN. 

